Seasonal consumption of salad vegetables and fresh fruit in relation to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancerSeasonal consumption of salad vegetables and fresh fruit in relation to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer

Objective To investigate the protective association between seasonality of consumption of fresh fruit or salad vegetables and cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) development.

Design and setting Face-to-face interviews, including a food frequency questionnaire, were conducted on 1489 men and 1900 women, aged 35–75 years, who were respondents in the British Health and Lifestyle Survey 1984/85 (HALS1). CVD and cancer morbidity and mortality were determined from the 1991/92 British Health and Lifestyle Survey (HALS2) and by NHS Register ‘flagging’.

Conclusions Diets high in fresh fruit and salad vegetables appear protective against cancer and CVD. It is important to take into account the seasonality of consumption in estimating and establishing significance of risk.